In your face

[Steve Kaluski]

With the various Bears being posted, here is another, albeit one that has been posted a while back and illustrates how quickly you can loose DoF, however the eyes are sharp, but with this I wanted to ensure you just had the head and where everything else just disappears and so all you have are the eyes & nose (albeit OOF) of this awesome subject. Just keeping things simple for this B/W conversion, however I will post the colour too.


Thanks to those who both viewed and more importantly, commented.

Steve

Subject: Polar bear (Ursus maritimus) close-up of face
Location: Svalbard
Camera: Canon 1DX MKI
Lens: 500f/4 MKII with 1.4 MKIII HH
Exposure: 1/2500s at f/8 ISO2000
Original format: Portrait, very small crop from the top
Processed via: LRCC2019 & PSCC 2019

[Steve Kaluski]

And here is the colour...

[Jonathan Ashton]

Very nice work indeed Steve, it didn't occur to me that that was blood on it's muzzle - pretty obvious now!
I am torn over his hooter! Being OOF concentrates attention on the eyes yet I wish his nose was in focus, I suppose I would have to see two versions and compare but I am coming round to thinking the OOF hooter isn't all bad!
I am enjoying looking at the various shades of pale fur, details are really good in both versions.

[Andreas Liedmann]

Hi Steve ...well this right in your face !!!!
Just wish two things ...the left ear as viewed looks missing , and in the color version i would like to see more of the fur that is fading away too quick for my taste .
It might be just your artsy approach , as i think you have the detail in the RAW .
It does look great ... apart from the minor wishes from my side .
Great work .... you took a good opportunity as the bear was standing just below the ship .....trying to get to you

TFS Andreas

[greg cowle]

At that distance the nose and ears probably wouldn't be in focus at f20, but the shallow DOF on the plane of the eyes makes for a compelling image.

[John Mack]

Much prefer the color version. The bear looks too tight in the frame. I do like the direct eye contact and the blood.

[Steve Kaluski]

i would like to see more of the fur that is fading away too quick for my taste .

I wanted that, I don't want the starkness to be hijacked by detail, it's minimal to retain focus and contrast within the B/W.

as i think you have the detail in the RAW .

I do to a degree, but again DoF Andreas.

The bear looks too tight in the frame.

Frame filler John, I wanted it to be 'in your face'. Unlike Black & Grizzlies, when I have been within meters, PB's you must give a healthy distance, they are too unpredictable.

[Andreas Liedmann]

Hi Steve ... i thought so that it was your goal mohave threading effect

[Rachel Hollander]

Hi Steve - I prefer the color here. The red of the blood tells a story and on the b&w you lose that. I might have gone for part of each ear present rather than the left ear completely in frame. It would likely have the same effect but look more delibrate. I agree with Jon the dof initially an issue for me, is not as much an issue the more I look at the frame. It would have been interesting to have side by side images to compare but understand virtually, if not actually, impossible.

TFS,
Rachel

[Basil Dardagan]

Truly fantastic photography ! Absolutely love it - the colour more so than the b/w

[Gabriela Plesea]

Good evening Steve,

Just how far were you from the subject?

Love close-ups. Your arty B/W version - or rather conversion - is right up my alley. Here you have managed to enhance those features that were most valuable at the scene: the subject's eyes. And I guess I find the B/W somewhat more powerful in terms of expression. The colour version is quite impressive as it brings out the ferocity of the subject but the presence of blood makes such an impact that it detracts attention from the eyes.

I have seen and encountered a number of wildlife species in my life, but never a Polar Bear - I imagine your encounter was brief but its effect certainly lasted longer than a few hours. There are those critical moments a photographer experiences from time to time that bring emotions for which few adequate single words exist, IMO this frame conveys precisely how you felt in close proximity to the subject.

Warmest regards,

[William Dickson]

A beauty Steve. I like the b/w version best..Those eyes, so adorable..Yes I think the b/w version blends real well with the BG. Nice one.

Will